Cooling investment in the mining sector and falling
household consumption have weighed on the economy of Chile, the
world's top copper producer, for several quarters.

But the IMACEC economic activity index, which
encompasses about 90 percent of the economy tallied in gross
domestic product figures, picked up its pace in December, rising
2.9 percent from a year ago and topping market forecasts.

It was the biggest monthly expansion since March, boosted by
an increase in services and retail as well as greater value
added from mining, the bank said.

Antonio Moncado, an economist at Bci Estudios, said it was
unclear whether economic activity data had turned a corner.

The answer may come, he said, during the second half of
2015, as "a rebound in consumer and business sentiment will
favor greater dynamism than what we observed in 2014."